The One with The Roses
by You Don't Understand Me
Summary: Aderyn and Cailean were totally kickin' it in the afterlife. They fell in love, but were punished due to their autocratic leader. Aderyn remembers what they shared, although Cailean doesn't- and she'll do anything to change that.


The One with the Roses

_65 million years ago, Realm of Angelica._

The woman sat silently, except for the scribbling of her quill against paper. She stopped suddenly, dropped her quill, and looked up through her skylight, her flowing blonde hair flooding out behind her. A troubled look crossed her face as she looked into the stars. Something was out of place.

Suddenly, a meteor soared across the sky. It missed the woman's skylight by a mere mile, and continued its collision course with the planet below the Realm of Angelica. The woman had heard that it was called Earth, but it was too early in the planet's life for intelligence beyond survival. The woman shook her head at the meteor. It seemed a shame the poor planet's slate was to be wiped clean again.

Suddenly, a man appeared behind the woman. His hair had the same shade of blonde that the woman's was.

The woman whirled around to face the man. All of a sudden, two pure-white wings unfurled from her back.

The man smirked, as if mildly amused. "Angelica. We meet at last, _sister._"

Those were the last words the woman heard before she was plunged into darkness.

…

_Present day, Florida._

"Aderyn! Get up, you stupid girl! I'll be late!"

I tried to forget I was alive. Scratch that. Undead.

"Aderyn, if you don't get up now, I'll beat you with the electrical cord again!"

"Fine, fine! I'm up!" I screeched back at my "loving aunt." Thankfully, I wasn't actually related to her, but that just made things worse. If she knew who, or rather, what I was, she'd kill me. And that is a rather difficult thing to do.

My phone clattered against my nightstand. I snatched it up and flipped it open. Of course, Cailean texted me. '_Morning,_ it said.

My fingers frantically started to work. _Lol, isn't it good?_

The reply was instantaneous. _DUH. What about darling Aunt Hazel?_

I rolled my eyes as I typed. _Ugh. See you at school._

_Lol, sure, _was Cailean's reply.

I'm sure by now you're wondering why I'm undead, why I'm not related to my "aunt," and you probably want to know about Cailean too.

I'll answer the last one first. Cailean _**IS NOT**_ my boyfriend. I've known him for an eternity (literally), so we're good friends. (Between you and me, I wish he _was_ my boyfriend, but hey. A bad little winged chick can dream, can't she?)

And, well, as for me being undead… scratch that. As for Cailean and I being undead, well, we're Fallen Angels. Basically, we died and used to live the afterlife in the Realm of Angeli- I mean, the Realm of Castronia, but we did something forbidden.

We fell in love.

As punishment, we'd be confined to Earth (yuck) in the bodies of mortal teenagers for a very, very, very long time.

The catch?

Cailean doesn't remember what he is, or what we shared.

And that just makes me feel jolly good!

(That was sarcasm, in case you didn't notice. I do that a lot.)

I threw on some clothes. It didn't really matter what I put on, they were all black anyways. I always seemed to be mourning my loss, and I'm pretty sure I had good reason to. What is so wrong with love, anyways? Jeez.

"Aderyn, I'm leaving without you!" screeched my abusive ticket to school. My ticket to another depression-filled day with who knows how long to go.

"I'm coming!" I called back. I wished this had a clear ending, and a happy one at that.

…

My "aunt" dropped me off outside Velicio High School. She didn't say anything as she drove off. _At least she didn't try to run me over, _I thought with sour optimism.

I was starving. Aunt Hazel probably would not feed me at all if she could, but she probably didn't want to deal with my dead body. Although it's next to impossible to kill me, I'm still sort of human, and this body needs whatever nutrients are in food to survive. I found it quite annoying. Seriously, what's the point of being undead when you can die?

I grabbed a small plastic package of Honey Nut Chex in the cafeteria and parked myself at the last lunch table. No one sat there but the goth loners, and I was one of them. I ate in silence, and so did others around me.

Of course, until Cailean walked in.

I won't lie to you. Cailean was the hottest guy on campus. His hair was brown, and it shone like melted chocolate. His eyes were blue, and not just any blue, but Crater Lake blue. He was goth like me, and I was the only person he hung out with. Though he did have at least 50 girls that had pictures of him on the interior of their locker. "Hottest guy on campus" wasn't only my opinion.

He sat across from me as I inhaled the last bit of Chex. "Well, you survived," he said with mock surprise.

I shook my head. "Survival is a luxury. 'Hardly alive' is more like me."

Cailean laughed. "Well, don't die on me, okay?"

"You, my friend," I said with a playful smirk, "have got yourself a deal."

I almost stabbed myself with my spoon.

…

The day went terribly, as usual. Cailean was only in two of my classes, and he sat impossibly far away. I knew it was more than likely a part of our punishment, but that doesn't mean I can't be depressed about it.

When I got home, I went straight to bed. Homework was a useless mortal invention used to torture school kids, and I was already being tortured beyond anything anyone could imagine.

But sleep wasn't an escape. I dreamt in HD.

…The dream began normally, like all the others I had before it. It was when we broke the Castro Code.

_Cailean and I sat in a meadow. The hills rolled around us like a fairy ring. The sky above us was pitch-black. Not very romantic, but hey, Cailean brightened every day back then (literally). He had with him a dozen roses. It was obvious one was fake. Cailean leaned over to me and whispered in my ear, "I love you." His kiss was sweet, tender, and truly angelic. I knew I was dreaming, but I could have sworn I still felt it. _

_That part melted away… and suddenly we were in the courtroom where we were tried. Cailean and I never once looked away from each other. We weren't afraid of anything "the Almighty" Castro would do to us. _

_As he read our sentence, a tear began to roll down my cheek. _

_Cailean wiped it away with a sad smile. "Don't cry. I promise you, there will be a day where everything will be as it was. And I will fight till I see the sun rise that day."_

I jolted awake. My phone read 3:42 am.

I opened a drawer on my bedside table. I gingerly lifted the fake rose out of it. _"I'll love you until the last rose dies…" _Tears streamed down my face just as they did last night, and the night before, and every other night.

I remember exactly what I said to Cailean that day.

_"I promise I will fight by your side till we both see the sun rise."_

But Cailean can't do much fighting now, huh?

…

It took me 12 bowls of Cheerios to realize Cailean was late. And I don't mean just "I got up 5 minutes late" late, but "I am hiding from you because I hate you" late. I shook off the thought. Man, I was depressed.

When I realized I'd just finished my 13th bowl, and finally noticed the other goths giving weird looks, I slinked out of the cafeteria in search of Cailean. I had no idea where I was going, because Cailean always took me where I needed to go. There were at least two floors out of which I had never been on.

Like I cared.

I went to what looked like a library, a few inhabited classrooms (from which I got very strange looks), and a lot of janitor's closets. I have no idea why he would even be in one, but hey, there are Angels, so I suppose anything's possible.

I heard the 5 minute bell. I never did anything in class (or out of it for that matter), but I refuse to be late. I headed dejectedly for the stairs without Cailean. It was immensely painful to see him, but it was worse without him.

Suddenly, I saw it. There was a door next to the stairs slightly ajar. I heard someone talking inside- it was Cailean!

I nearly rushed in to greet him, but then I heard someone else's voice- obviously feminine, but it took a few seconds for me to realize who it was. It, of course, was Marie ("Jane Marie Olivia Modeur. It's French." Ew.), who was only Cailean's biggest fan.

I could not do any standard mortal calculations, but I know this: Cailean + Marie + Empty room alone = BAD NEWS. Marie was incredibly good at getting her way, but I vowed that _as long as I am dead, she will never touch Cailean. _

But I was too late. As I looked inside the room, Marie had looped a papery arm around Cailean's neck and was staring straight into his eyes. Cailean didn't look comfortable, but he certainly wasn't tearing away from Marie's snakelike grasp.

As I stood there in shock, Marie smiled evilly at me. Cailean looked up, suddenly taken aback when he saw me.

Before Cailean could explain anything (I wouldn't have listened anyway), Marie reached up and kissed him.

Right in front of me.

Now, there is a lot I can deal with. For instance, I see Cailean every day and miraculously not break down. I deal with my constant dreams and flashbacks. But when I see my true love and my worst enemy making out, that's the end of the line. No more Ms. Nice Fallen Angel.

I dashed out of the room. The bell had done its final ring ages ago, and there was no point in staying here. I needed to get away, far away.

As I was bounding down the steps three at a time, I ran right past the school security guard.

"Hey! Stop!" he shouted after me.

I knew that I was never going to make it with Mr. Macho (What? That's actually his name) chasing after me.

But I couldn't stop. Not after what I'd seen.

I burst out of the front doorway at last. My useless breath came in gasps as I continued to run. Mr. Macho now had a team of 4 teachers plus himself. I was screwed.

Unless…

No. I couldn't possibly…

But I had to.

I stopped in my tracks and ripped off my jacket. There were two huge slits in the back of my fanciful dress.

The teachers' slower steps echoed off the school. They had no idea what I was doing. Heck, I had no idea what I was doing.

But there's a big difference between me and the teachers.

Number one, the teachers were mortal. I was definitely not.

"Aderyn, come with us, honey," said one of the lady teachers.

Number two, the teachers were not entirely disconnected from love. Do I have to continue?

"This is your last warning," Mr. Macho said with a dangerously low tone.

And number three, the teachers didn't have wings.

"Aderyn! Aderyn, don't do this!" It was Cailean. He'd followed me, thankfully without Marie attached.

It was too late. I'd already let out my full black wingspan of about 13 feet. Mr. Macho and the teachers (sounds like a 70's band) almost had their jaws on the ground. Cailean looked slightly aghast, but he kept running towards me.

I pumped my wings guiltily. This felt horrible. Cailean would never reach me now, and I knew it. I had to get away. I had to.

Cailean surprised me. He jumped up about a foot into the air and locked his hand on my ankle. I looked down at him.

He was struggling. I could see it in his Crater Lake eyes. "Aderyn! Stop this, okay? I can explain this! It's not my fault that Marie kissed me! I didn't want to!"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course. You were _so_ ripping away from her."

The Crater Lake eyes were pained now. "I didn't know what she wanted! She told me she wanted to ask me something."

"Ask you out! Have you seen her locker?"

"No, but I've heard the rumors."

"Well, there goes your alibi."

"You're my best friend!" Cailean yelled. "I'd never do that to you."

At this point, I lost it. I couldn't take it anymore. I remembered when I would stare into those blue eyes and they'd know me. "I remember when you were more than my best friend! I remember when it was just you and me, days on end! I wish _you _could just remember. Cailean, you were the one with the roses. You told me you loved me. But they separated us before I could reply, so I'll do it now! Cailean, to this day, I love you!"

The sky turned black, just as it was in the Realm of Castronia. The only thing I could see were Cailean's eyes. They were glowing, just as they used to.

They knew me.

And then they were gone.

…

_Undefined time, The Realm of Darkness._

"Oh, you poor thing."

My eyes shot open. I was in… blackness. The darkness seemed to go on forever. The only thing I could see was a woman bent over me. She was very beautiful, with her long blonde hair and grass- green eyes. Her wings were white, so she wasn't a Fallen Angel… who was she? Why was she here? Heck, why was I here?

"He stuck you out here too? How horrid. I am Angelica," she continued, offering a hand.

I took it and stood. "I'm Aderyn."

Wait… Angelica? The name rang a bell, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"You mentioned someone… 'He?' Who is that?" I asked.

Angelica sighed. "My brother, Castro."

Suddenly, it all clicked. According to a few Angels, of whom I'd asked a long time ago, the Realm of Castronia was once the Realm of Angelica. It had been justly ruled by Angelica, until she mysteriously disappeared 65 million years ago. Coincidentally, "the Almighty" Castro showed up and took over the Realm. I was talking to the former ruler of the place formally known as the Realm of Angelica!

Angelica laughed. I must have had a weird look on my face. "Took a little while you, huh? Well, we don't have time to waste. Let's get you out of here."

"Me? But you're far more important than me! You're a ruler and I'm just… broken." I choked back tears and fluttered my black wings.

Angelica put a hand on my shoulder. "There, there. It's alright. Calm yourself and I'll tell you why you're more important than me. Do you know the story of Romeo and Juliet?"

Somehow, I did. "Written by the mortal Shakespeare sometime between 1591 and 1595."

She nodded "Go on."

"The Capulet and Montague families had feuded for years, but Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague saw past their families' war with love." I had no idea how I knew all this. I was saying it as if I was a machine. "In the end, both lovers killed themselves: Romeo in thinking Juliet was dead, Juliet in knowing Romeo was."

"When did you and Cailean die?"

"In the late 1500's."

Angelica nodded. "What does this tell you?"

My jaw dropped. "No way! It couldn't be!" Could Cailean and I really have been Romeo and Juliet when we were alive?

"65 million years ago, I had a vision of two lovers with a love so pure they carried it to my Realm. I, upon knowing this, began drafting a letter of resignation. You two would be better rulers than I, for you would know love better than I." She pulled a paper from her pocket. "I've finalized it in my time here. Take it with you when you go back."

I was still set in my ways. "You can come with me, can't you?"

Angelica shook her head sadly. "The largest rip I can make in this Realm closes after one person leaves. And I cannot leave through my own portal. Trust me, I've tried."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she held up a hand. "Who am I to separate eternal lovers?"

Cailean! The recent events flooded back to me. I'd hardly been here ten minutes and I already felt ripped in half. Part of me was loyal to Angelica and her former Realm; part of me was loyal to Cailean and our "eternal love."

The decision was made for me, although it didn't feel right."All right," Angelica prompted me. "When I send you out of here, you'll need to think very hard about where you want to go. I don't how long it will take. The Realm depends on you now, Aderyn."

Oh, yeah. No pressure.

"Mainly, you need to find Cailean," she continued. "You're nothing without him, and he's nothing without you. No offense, of course."

"None taken."

"Anyways, to retrieve the Realm, you're going to need to defeat Castro. You course from there is your own."

I nodded sorrowfully. "I understand."

Angelica returned my nod, and got straight to work. Angels with true "magic" were few and far between, and honestly, they weren't that good either. It could take an immense amount of energy for Angelica to tear this Realm. Her brow knitted itself in frustration.

Suddenly, a white hole appeared just big enough for me to fit through. "Remember what I've told you!" Angelica shouted over the sucking vacuum sound the rip was making. "And take this! You'll need it!" She handed me a torn-off piece of her dress.

I nodded a last time, tears in my eyes, before descending into light.

…

_Undefined time, undefined location._

I had tried everything. "Everything" includes suicide. I don't know why I even tried; I was technically already dead. I remember a time when I'd purposely angered a gang after they'd cornered me in an alley. When they shot at me, their bullets bounced off me as if I was made of bulletproof rubber. I thought dying again was far better than "living" with a Cailean who didn't know me like he had.

I knew exactly where I wanted to go.

Wherever Cailean was.

_Present day, The Realm of… Angelica/Castronia, call it what you want._

Suddenly, I opened my eyes. I knew immediately where I was: Castro's office. I could tell because of the huge skylight which looked out on the blackened sky.

The next thing I saw was Castro. He had his back to me as he intensely studied something.

He was studying Cailean, unconscious, in a giant birdcage.

Shoot me now. _Please._

Castro whipped around as I muffled a scream. He seemed puzzled. "How did you… my sister, of course. Glad to see you again, Aderyn."

"Wish I could say the same," I spat.

"Tsk, tsk. What an awful thing to say to your leader."

"But you're not! 65 million years ago, you dethroned Angelica and put her in that… dark Realm so you could take over! You don't belong here!"

Castro feigned shock. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't screw with me. It tends not to work."

He turned around. "What was I doing? Oh yes, pondering ways to torture your little boyfriend over here."

In desperation, I dashed between the cage and Castro. "Oh no you don't! Do what you wish to me, but leave Cailean out of this!"

My pocket started getting warmer. I reached in to grab the piece of Angelica's dress that she'd given me. What I was going to do with it, I had no clue. _You'll need it!_... what did that mean?

Apparently, I didn't need to do anything. The silky piece of clothing expanded in my hand until it became a white hole, just as the one I came through. As if it had a life of its own, the hole lifted out of my hand. Castro screeched as he was sucked into the hole. The hole closed, with Castro on the other side. He, the most powerful evil force the Realm had ever known, was gone in an instant.

"I hope your sister can straighten you out," I muttered after him.

Suddenly, I heard a groan behind me. Tears filled my eyes yet again, but these were happy tears. "Cailean?" My incredulous voice cracked as I dashed inside the birdcage, which somehow had come open since the last time I'd looked at it.

Cailean was rubbing his head like a hung-over mortal. (Trust me, I know.) "Aderyn? Is that you?"

The tears fell. "Yes! Yes, and it's really you too."

His face became puzzled. "Where am I? I remember the trial… then darkness… Castro, a birdcage…" He looked around him. "Oh. A birdcage. But where's Castro? What happened between the trial and now? Tell me everything, and go into detail about how beautiful you were each day."

I giggled for the first time in forever. Then I began. I told him about our time in the mortal world and the Marie incident (at which we both shuddered). When I'd gotten to the part about Angelica, I pulled out her first gift: the letter. Cailean whistled as he read it. "So now were ruling, huh? Wow."

I nodded. "Angelica couldn't return, so she entrusted the Realm to us. Now, if I may continue…"

"Of course."

I continued on with Castro's demise. Cailean frowned in thought. "Do you think Angelica enchanted the dress fabric? I mean, no Angel, even with magic, has ever been able to do that."

"She must have. The white hole looked exactly like the one I traveled through. Angelica said she loved her brother even though he was evil, so I assume she wanted to try to make him see the light."

"But they'd never met before, had they?"

"We may never know. The important thing is, we fought through this, and we're together again."

Cailean shook his head. "_You _did this, Aderyn. Apparently, this whole time I've either been an amnesiac or unconscious. You did all the fighting." He interlaced his fingers in mine. "Let's go out onto the balcony."

And so we did. We were greeted by a few billion Angels screaming as if they were at a mortal rock concert. (Again, trust me, I know.) I guess word still travels fast here.

"So this is our Realm." Cailean sighed as he looked over the horizon onto Earth. "What are we going to call it?"

"The Realm of Angelica." Another tear ran down my cheek. "We owe her that much, if not more."

Cailean turned to face me and wiped away my tear. "Now, now. She did what she thought was right for us. We have to trust her judgment. But in the meantime…" He smiled and pulled me closer.

I looked over the horizon. "Cailean, look!"

He smiled wider. "I know."

We shared our second kiss, our now-white wings spread out behind us, as the sun finally rose.


End file.
